XMen: Integration
by Ty3
Summary: Gabria has always been different, but never as different as any member of Xavier's School. However, that is exactly where she finds herself. Can she handle being in a school of mutants? And what's hidden in her mind that even Prof X can't see?
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Yeah, I know. The title sucks. Sorry about that. Well, first and foremost, I need to apologize for my lack of knowledge in the vast universe of X-Men. Mostly, I just remember the cartoons back in the early 90's. I've recently started reading Ultimate X-Men, but there's just so much out there that I feel hopeless overwhelmed. Therefore, if something seems inaccurate, just go with it or if it's too obnoxious, let me know. Secondly, I really love, crave, need more than air to receive feedback. I especially hope to hear what you think of Connor. Without further ado…

**X-Men: Integration**

Gabria staggered forward a few more steps before the weight of the form in her arms became too much. Holly had passed out on the train, the loss of blood dragging her into unconsciousness. Gabria had been afraid to do more than shake her to try and wake her up. Attracting attention to them could have been fatal. So, she'd settled for waiting until all the other passengers in the cabin had exited the train, then hauling her friend into her arms as best she could. Gabria was not very strong, but Holly was very light. Gabria managed to bear her small form onto the platform and head towards the bathrooms. However, the distance proved to be too much. She collapsed before she could reach the relative privacy of the restroom. Gabria was afraid to release her hold on Holly, choosing instead to hold on tight and break her friend's fall with her own body. This resulted in the back of her head cracking against the concrete of the platform harshly. Stinging pain shot through her skull and a cry of pain escaped her lips.

Gabria soon joined her friend in unconsciousness, the darkness overtaking her despite her mental struggle, and therefore she was unable to prevent what happened next. Curious passerby approached the two vulnerable girls only to discover an excessive amount of blood seeping through the clothes of the smaller, dark-haired youth. The blood also coated the hands and arms of the blonde beneath her.

"Somebody call 9-1-1!" a man shouted as he dropped on his knees next to the pair. He reached forward to pull the smaller girl off of the other one when a sort of reddish bubble formed around the pair. It burned to the touch, forcing the man to yank his hand away. The crowd forming around the girls backed up a step.

"They're mutants!" a voice in the crowd cried in disgust, "Just leave 'em!"

The man next to the girls frowned, "Might have to. I can't touch them."

"Hey! Let me through!" a young female voice demanded as its owner shoved her way past the spectators.

The girl was about the same age as the two unconscious females, but dressed to draw attention rather than avoid it. She wore large hoop earrings, a yellow over-coat, denim shorts and matching blue boots and gloves. Pink sunglasses crowned her dark hair.

"Another mutie!"

"Hey, it's Jubilee."

"Let the mutants take care of their own."

"Yeah, it's none of our business."

Jubilee took in the scene and made a quick decision. She glared around her at the less-than-helpful spectators, "You can say that again! Get out of here!"

The man who had tried to help slowly stood up, turning to Jubilee as the rest of the crowd noisily dispersed, "Can you help them?"

Jubilee nodded, "Yeah. I'll get the X-Men to come get them."

"Good." He nodded, turning to go.

Jubilee flashed him an appreciative smile, "Thanks for the help."

The man glanced over his shoulder at her, "I didn't do anything. But I'd hurry if I were you. One of those people will probably call the authorities."

"Gotcha." Jubilee agreed. She wasted no more time contacting the Mansion for help. Glancing down at the girls who were still shielded, she flashed another smile, "Don't worry. You guys are going to be okay."

She turned away for a moment before she added quietly, "I hope."

***

Gabria woke up, panic flooding her system. Fear even overpowered the pain that resonated out from the back of her head, allowing her to bolt upright. Her gaze flew around the room, desperately trying to piece together what had happened. She was in a sterile, white room, sitting on an exam table. A thin white sheet had been drawn up over her, but now lay pooled in her lap. Her sweater was gone, leaving her in her tank top. Holly was nowhere in sight.

Gabria swung her legs over the side of the table. The change in position caused a wave of dizziness to sweep over her, forcing her to splay her hands against the table for balance. Gabria frowned, her face setting in determination before she lowered her feet to the ground and attempted to stand up. The dizziness increased and with it a great deal of nausea, but Gabria ignored it. She had to find Holly.

Gabria scanned the room around her. There didn't appear to be anyone around. The room reminded her of a hospital, but it didn't look like any hospital she'd ever been in. There was a curtain next to her bed that divided her part of the room from the other. Gabria moved around the bed, brushing the curtain aside.

There was another bed there. Another body, covered by a white sheet. Except this one was pulled up over the occupant's face. Gabria's whole world slowed to a crawl. She couldn't even think. She wasn't even sure how her feet moved achingly slowly closer to the bed. It was a surprise to her when she saw her hand, shaking uncontrollably, reaching out and grasping the sheet.

"Please don't do that."

Normal time came crashing back to Gabria as a furry, blue hand grasped her wrist gently, preventing her from pulling the sheet down. She gasped and jumped back, her eyes flying from the hand to the person that went with it. A mutant, covered in thick blue hair and wearing slacks, a button-up shirt and glasses, was looking at her with a sympathetic expression. Gabria snatched her hand away from him, pulling it protectively into her chest. Her sudden movement was making the darkness creep into her vision again, unconsciousness looming. Gabria tried to slow down, take deep breaths, but she couldn't seem to control her breathing. Her breaths were coming in quick, shallow bursts.

"You're hyperventilating. You need to calm down or you will lose consciousness again." The blue mutant warned.

His name floated in the recesses of Gabria's mind, but in her state she wasn't able to grasp it. The darkness in the corners of her eyes was pushing forward, making it hard to focus. She floundered for something to hold onto, to steady her. The bed next to her was closest, but she couldn't bring herself to touch it.

With a final desperate gasp for oxygen, she crumpled to the floor.

The next time Gabria woke up, it was voices that drew her out of her oblivious slumber. She stifled a groan in order to listen in.

"…so if she's from an anti-mutant town and Jubilee found her with a dying mutant, her blood all over her hands, what makes you think she didn't have anything to do with it?"

"You didn't see her Scott. She looked…devastated."

That was the voice of the blue mutant from earlier. Beast, that was his name. He was an X-Man. Somehow she'd reached her destination; she was with the X-Men. Too late…

"Maybe she was just upset she got caught."

"Hmm, perhaps. But why would they come from Brighton to within miles of the Mansion?"

"I don't know, Hank. Maybe she wanted to drop a dead mutant on our doorstep, send some kind of message."

The word "dead" was too much for her. A choked sob tore itself from her throat, alerting the two speakers of her consciousness. Gabria heard them approaching and turned her face away, searching for the strength to compose herself.

"Miss Corina?" Beast questioned, his voice gentle.

Gabria drew in a ragged breath, the sound confirming that she was in fact awake.

"I'd like to give you a pain killer, if you'll permit me." Beast continued, moving to collect some pills and a cup of water from a nearby table.

Gabria nodded. She slowly pushed herself up into a sitting position again. She took slightly longer to look up at her visitors. Beast silently pressed the water and pills into her hands. Gabria took them, grateful of the momentary reprieve from the questioning she was sure was about to take place. She took her time setting the cup back down.

"Who are you?" the man next to Beast, a tall man in red sunglasses demanded.

The sunglasses were a giveaway. He was Cyclops.

They already seemed to know her name and where she was from. Gabria assumed they'd found her I.D. So, the question wasn't about that.

"I needed help." Gabria answered. She couldn't stop from glancing in the direction she knew her friend was lying, "We needed help."

"Why?" Cyclops pressed.

Gabria sighed. This was not how she'd imagined this. She'd thought that she'd be able to get Holly here, they would be welcomed with open arms, they'd help Holly and everything would be okay. Now Holly was gone and they suspected she was the cause.

"Holly was my friend. She was a mutant and she was in trouble so I thought if I could get her here, she'd be okay. I'm on your side." Gabria explained. Hearing herself, she felt so naïve.

Cyclops looked about to ask her another question, but Beast put a firm hand on his arm, stopping him.

"Perhaps we should give her a little more time to recover before we continue the interrogation. I'm sure the Professor will want to speak with her."

Cyclops looked about to argue, but nodded. Gabria assumed it was the mention of the Professor that convinced him. She was sure it was Professor Xavier they were talking about. If they had any doubts about her, questioning her in front of a powerful psychic was definitely the smart way to go. She couldn't blame them. If she were in their position, she'd be suspicious, too. Still, she was too emotionally wrecked to be any more rational than that. None of this would matter if she'd been able to get Holly here faster. Holly… her best friend, practically a sister…

Gabria closed her eyes tightly, feeling the sting of tears burn her eyes. She heard Beast and Cyclops move away from her and slowly lowered herself back onto the bed. She knew she should sleep, take advantage of the time they were giving her, but she couldn't. Gabria spent the next few hours trapped in her thoughts and emotions, her mental anguish radiating out of the medical bay and disturbing psychic mutants throughout the Mansion. She could only imagine that things were probably going to get worse and yet she felt a deep sense of shame over her own feelings of pain. At least she was alive to feel anything. Holly wasn't.

"Get a hold of yourself." Gabria growled under her breath at herself.

She had no right to be indulging in this depression. No right to shed tears. This was all her fault and until she found some way to atone for what she'd done, she would not allow herself one more minute of these feelings. And that was assuming that atonement was even possible. Nothing could bring Holly back, after all.

Taking a deep, steadying breath, Gabria composed herself and sat up. Staying here any longer would only make it harder to control the turmoil that raged inside her. At this point, an interrogation would be a welcome distraction.

"Excuse me." Gabria said loudly, feeling instinctively that someone else was still in the room with her even though she couldn't see or hear anyone, "I'm ready to talk now."

***

Gabria took a deep breath as her eyes traveled over the team of mutants assembled before her. They weren't in uniform, but they were easy to recognize anyway. The slender woman with the fiery red hair was Jean Grey. Standing next to her was the tall form of Cyclops, his arms crossed over his chest as he looked her up and down with a scowl on his face. Next was Wolverine, significantly shorter than Cyclops, but resonating danger more clearly than any other individual in the room. His dark hair spiked up on either side of his head and, although his stance was relaxed and his expression spoke of boredom, Gabria wasn't fooled into thinking that he wasn't ready to spring into action at a moment's notice. Beside him was a tall, dark-skinned woman with snow white hair that draped down over her shoulders. She stood with perfect posture and her face was receptive at the moment. Storm was waiting to hear her speak before she passed judgment. Gabria paused to incline her head slightly to her, appreciating that she was willing to give her a chance. Then her eyes took in the tall man next to her in the brown trench coat. Gambit's eyes were a striking black on red that caught you by surprise even if you'd been expecting them. Longer brown hair fell into his face and one hand played idly with a playing card, twirling it between his fingers. Finally, a few paces distant from the others, leaning against the wall was Rogue. The white streaks in her brown hair drew attention to her face and her bright green eyes. Gabria noted the long gloves that covered most of her arms up to her sleeves so that only her face had any exposed skin. Her lips were pursed in a frown.

Behind the line of mutants, Gabria could just barely see a man in a wheelchair.

"Alright. Let us have it, girly. What happened?" Wolverine demanded, his voice low and gruff.

Gabria nodded, her posture unconsciously going rigid and her eyes drifting to a spot over their heads as she answered. Her father would have spared her a fleeting look of pride at her reaction. He'd spent a lot of time in raising her to make sure she acted like a good kid from a military home regardless of the circumstances.

"My name is Gabria Corina. Holly Rosalind was my best friend." Gabria answered, keeping her voice as devoid of emotion as she possibly could. She knew if she let herself feel even a fraction of the grief that had hit her earlier, she wouldn't be able to tell them anything, "We grew up together. Our town's not very big so it could get kind of easy to be singled out. We were both about the same age and both of our parents were military. It just made sense for us to stick together."

Gabria allowed herself to reflect back on her childhood, almost forgetting the line of people in front of her. Her eyes softened a little as she remembered two young tomboy, military brats.

"I guess you could say our town was kind of old fashioned, very conservative. They didn't like things that were different." Gabria continued, that soft looking in her eyes vanishing and her lips pulling down in a frown.

"Like mutants." Rogue supplied for her.

Gabria didn't answer right away. Rogue was certainly correct, but that wasn't the whole story and it wasn't the point she needed to make. It was crucial that they understand not just what had happened but where she, in particular, was coming from.

"Yes and no. Look, I can't begin to understand what it's like for you. I'm not going to pretend that I do." Gabria said, speaking slowly and carefully, "But I do think it's important that you remember you're not the only ones who are suffering because you're different. I'm not trying to belittle your situation. It's just that not every person who starves on the streets without a home is a mutant. Not every person who is beaten or killed for not fitting into the mold is one of you. And actually, many of you are probably better able to defend yourself than these other people because of your powers. It's just that because of this, people fear you more. They're scared and honestly, sort of jealous. Ordinary people are worried that one day you'll realize that you agree with Magneto and all of you will turn your powers against them. It doesn't excuse them, but it's frightening to think that maybe he's right; maybe you are the next step in evolution. What does the future hold, then, for people without mutations, for their children, compared to people who can control them with their minds or kill them with a touch?"

Professor Xavier was smiling but Gabria couldn't see him from where she was standing. Instead she was faced with a sea of doubt, skepticism, disbelief and couched anger.

"How would you know?" Wolverine growled, "Thought you said you were on our side. You seem to know a lot about the way the other side thinks."

Gabria nodded slowly. He was right, of course. She'd heard all the anti-mutant propaganda from the purely ignorant hatred to the honest concerns, "My parents are anti-mutant. They lead a group."

Wolverine's growl grew louder. Gabria wasn't surprised. She'd known they'd find out about her parents eventually and she'd known how they would surely react. She dropped her gaze to the floor, unwilling to defend herself, grateful when her short blond hair fell forward and covered her face.

A hand on her arm drew her gaze back up to meet fiery red eyes with dark pupils.

"But not you, eh, petite?" Gambit said with an encouraging smile.

Gabria felt her face flush. She tried to tell herself it was from relief that someone understood, but if she were really honest with herself, it was mostly because of the attention from the handsome Cajun. Certainly, no one had ever called her "petite" before. Gabria briefly entertained a fantasy starring this attractive, dark mutant, but only for a moment. Rogue's glare quickly snapped her out of it. Besides, the tall, smooth-talking Cajun probably called most girls "petite." It was simply a nice distraction.

"Well, how do we know you're not here to…" Wolverine began, unconvinced.

"Because I say so."

The other mutants backed out of the way so that the man in the wheelchair could roll forward. As intimidating as it might have been to face the foremost members of the X-Men all at once, it was even more intimidating to meet the Professor. Gabria's stomach flopped, making her regret the meal she'd eaten earlier.

"Don't be frightened." The Professor said with an easy smile, "You spoke very insightfully, dear child. I'm impressed."

Gabria fought past the lump in her throat and managed to squeak out, "Thank you, sir."

"You are very right, of course. That is why a world with humans and mutants united is so difficult to achieve. Perhaps I've been wrong to keep this place so segregated." The Professor mused.

"Professor?" Rogue asked. It was bad enough she had to worry about harming other mutants. She didn't know if she could handle having to keep her guard up for normal humans all the time, too.

"Don't be concerned, Rogue. But please, Gabria, tell the others the rest of what happened." Xavier encouraged.

"Yes, sir." Gabria said, refocusing, "Holly and I never did quite fit in. I wasn't sure what it was exactly but as I got older, I felt more and more out of place. The rest of the town could see it too and they didn't like it. Holly and I planned to move away, go to a city somewhere. But then…"

Gabria paused, taking another breath. This was all still so recent.

"I don't know how long Holly knew about her powers. I think she was too scared by them to tell anyone, even me. But she didn't know how to control them. Yesterday… it was my fault. My parents held this rally. Everyone was spouting all this anti-mutant crap. I just…I couldn't take it anymore. I snapped. I yelled something. I don't even remember what I said. But everyone was so worked up and I pissed them off. They started yelling at me, calling me names, throwing things. My mom wanted them to stop, but my dad…well, he probably thought I deserved it, that it would teach me a lesson. I don't know what would've happened, but…Holly was suddenly in front of me and this red light just sort of jumped out of her. Everything they were throwing just bounced off it. I don't think she meant to use her powers. I think it just happened. But a mutant showing up, using their powers, in the middle of an anti-mutant rally…you can probably imagine. At first, Holly's shield kept them out, but she couldn't hold it. When she lost control of it, they grabbed her. They hit her and kicked her, spit on her. I tried to help her, tried to push them off her, keep them away, but there were so many of them. It seemed like the whole town. I didn't even see the knife until it was too late."

Gabria stopped abruptly, squeezing her eyes tightly shut. She wished she couldn't still see the blade glint in the sun on the back of her eyelids, but the image seemed burned there. She forced her eyes open again to escape it.

"Somehow Holly got her shield up again after that, but she was pretty badly hurt. I didn't know what to do. I just knew I had to get her out of there. I dragged her to my mom's car and she managed to keep the shield up long enough for me to get her inside. They tried to follow us at first and I got scared. I thought they'd call the police, at the very least for the car, so I drove us to the next town over and to the train station. The next train leaving was for New York. That's when I thought of Xavier's School. Holly had already lost a lot of blood and I didn't know what else to do. I…I couldn't take her to the hospital. They'd find us…"

Gabria trailed off, realizing that she was rambling. She fixed her eyes on her shoes. The silence in the room felt suffocating.

"Gabria, would you please step outside for a moment?" the Professor requested, his voice startling Gabria after the silence.

"Yes, sir." Gabria nearly squeaked, bolting for the door.

As soon as she was beyond it, she leaned back against the wall in the hallway, taking deep breaths and struggling to keep her emotions firmly in check.

"You must be Gabria."

Gabria jumped, snapping back upright on her feet at the sudden knowledge of a person very close to her. Her mind raced, wondering how he'd gotten so close without her noticing. She hadn't even heard a footstep.

The smirking face in front of her reassured her that she wasn't in immediate danger and her next rapid train of thought involved the person attached to the heavily accented voice that had startled her. Obviously this guy was Irish. There was no mistaking that type of speech even though Gabria had never actually met an Irishmen in person before. For a moment, her mind wondered irrationally why he wasn't red-haired, freckled and wearing green. But then she took better stock of his appearance and found that she was quite pleased with the way he did look. He was not particularly tall, but certainly taller than her five-foot six-inch frame. His skin was the sort of pale that can't be helped, the sort that would get sunburned rather than tanned with prolonged exposure. His hair was a dark blonde and longer than most of the guys Gabria was used to wore their hair. She almost blushed when it occurred to her that it would be nice to tangle her fingers in that careless mess of hair. From under a few spikes of hair that hung down into his face, two bright brown eyes observed her. He had a slim, sharp nose and a strong jaw line, but his mischievous eyes and wry lips kept those features from making him look too austere.

Gabria immediately felt self-conscious. A beat later she wondered how he knew her name and felt like kicking herself for not wondering that sooner.

"Who…uh…who are you?" Gabria finally asked, hoping she hadn't been too obvious in her staring and subsequent delayed response.

The eyes sparkling back at her said that he was well aware of the effect he'd had, but he simply answered, "Connor O'Reilly."

He held out a hand to her, which Gabria met with her own after only a second's hesitation. She spent entirely too much mental energy on making sure her handshake was firm and decisive without being overbearing or imposing. Disgusted with herself, she took her hand back and stuck it in the pocket of her jeans.

"How do you know my name?" Gabria asked, coming to her senses a little.

Connor waved a hand dismissively before bringing it up to tap two fingers against his temple.

"Professor called me." he said simply, "He asked me to keep you company while they talk things over. He didn't mention that you're so pretty."

Gabria blinked. Had she imagined that last sentence? Nope, she hadn't. That look on his face confirmed the reality of it. Gabria's cheeks burned and she quickly dropped her gaze and turned her head so she could hide behind her hair. She didn't consider herself anything special. She was okay, she figured, but kind of plain. Sure she had blonde hair and blue eyes, but her features were too strong, too masculine, for her to be considered any kind of beauty. Besides that, because of her outsider, weirdo status growing up, no one had ever paid her much attention in the looks department and how to take compliments had never been part of her upbringing. As a result, she found herself shaking her head and mumbling something mostly incoherent, but certainly to the contrary. Her protest was interrupted by a short laugh. Gabria's head shot up, her brow furrowed in confusion.

"And modest, too!" Connor exclaimed, his eyes teasing her. He held out a hand, "Come on. I'll show you around the Mansion. No telling how long they'll take in there."

Gabria slowly, hesitantly, gave Connor her hand. He grasped it lightly and guided her away from the door where the Professor and the X-Men conversed. Gabria's hand tingled from the contact. She focused on the feeling, resolutely ignoring the accusing voice in her head that was ruthlessly reminding her that her best friend had just died. For once, Gabria was thankful that she'd been raised in a family that had no use for tears and had therefore taught her how to keep her emotions buried deep inside. Guilt would only unleash grief and make her completely useless.

Connor's grip on her hand tightened slightly, drawing her attention to their joined hands and then up to his face. He grinned at her, eyebrows raised slightly in a silent question. Gabria forced a weak smile in return rather than attempt a verbal response. Thankfully, Connor seemed to understand and began to talk extensively about the Mansion and its occupants as they traversed the halls. Relieved, Gabria listened raptly, her eyes wide and attentive, drinking in as much information as she could.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thanks for the feedback on chapter one. There's more of Connor from here on in so you can get to know him a little better. Writing the stuff with him, Gabria and Jubilee is my favorite part of this.

**X-Men: Integration**

Meanwhile, the senior members of the X-Men were finding it as difficult as ever to see eye to eye. Logan and Scott were both distrusting (which was making Logan even more annoyed because he hated to agree with Scott about anything), Remy and Ororo both felt that Gabria deserved the benefit of a doubt, and Rogue waffled between the two camps, torn between her sympathy for the girl's situation as an outsider and her strong feelings of self-preservation. Jean and the Professor had been outwardly silent, but had communicated silently over the issue.

_Did you sense anything unusual about her, Jean?_ the Professor asked, ignoring the squabbling of the others.

_Yes. _Jean agreed. _It was like a block in her mind. Could you see past it?_

_No. The block is very complex and very strong. I don't think she's even aware of it. Perhaps with time we can discover what's there._

_A block that's strong enough to keep you out, Professor… do you think she's a mutant? _Jean wondered.

_I don't sense any mutation, but there's no telling what's walled up inside her mind. However, I do believe that she is genuine in her purpose._

_I agree. I felt her grief when she found out her friend didn't make it. She's controlling it now, but she definitely cared about her._

_Yes, that is why I believe it may be good to see if she will remain here for awhile. I've asked Connor to show her around. I also think it will be good for the students if she stays. I can hardly expect them to understand our teachings of mutant and human coexistence while living completely separated from them, after all._

_I think you're right. Besides, where else does she have to go?_

_I'm glad you feel the same, Jean. _the Professor said with a smile. _What about Logan and Scott? Do you think they will accept her?_

_Scott will if you say so. He's just worried about protecting everyone. _Jean responded, glancing at her fiancée affectionately. _Logan, though… he's been betrayed before. He's not going to trust her until he feels she's proved herself to him._

_That's to be expected, I suppose. _the Professor said, his voice in Jean's head sounding resigned. However, the tone masked a stronger feeling of pride he felt at Jean's growing control over her ability. She really was his star pupil even if he knew that Jean herself did not feel such confidence in her progress.

"That's enough." the Professor said out loud, putting an immediate halt to the other conversations, "I intend to ask Gabria if she will stay here with us and attend the school with the other students. I do not sense that she is any kind of threat. Actually, I believe it will be beneficial to everyone to have her here. Scott, I know you are concerned about security. She will of course be restricted from the Danger Room, Cerebro, and any X-Men equipment. I will also ask Connor and Jubilee to look after her. They can report to you if you like, but I do not foresee any security problems."

"Professor…" Rogue stepped forward to protest once again, "what about her safety? She doesn't have powers. We could hurt her. You know, on accident."

The Professor nodded, a thoughtful look on his face, "Your concerns are valid. I believe that Connor and Jubilee should be able to ensure her safety, but it is a risk that she will have to be willing to take. It's her choice."

Rogue nodded, but she was still frowning. Even if this girl was willing to accept the danger of being surrounded by mutants, what if they weren't willing to put another person in that position knowingly? She'd had her fill of hurting the people around her without meaning to. That was what had driven her to the X-Men in the first place.

Rogue was pulled from her thoughts when Remy snagged her gloved hand with his, placing a swift kiss on the material over her knuckles, his red eyes glinting up at her. Rogue glared at him for being so presumptuous, but was secretly grateful to the sneaky swamp rat for always knowing how to make her feel better.

"Now, if that is all, I think I will go find our new student out on the grounds." the Professor said, moving his chair towards the door.

The assembled mutants watched silently as the door opened for the Professor and he left.

"Well, I don't care what you psychics say. I'm keeping an eye on her." Logan grumbled, stalking out a moment later.

"Who's going to keep an eye on him?" Remy mused.

As if in answer to Remy's question, Scott muttered under his breath and strode out next. Jean rolled her eyes at the others, smiling in amusement as she followed him. Remy chuckled.

Storm inclined her head to Remy and Rogue and left next, leaving the pair alone in the room.

"Well, are you hungry, chère?" Remy asked.

"Hmm. I guess." Rogue said with a shrug.

Gambit flashed her a grin and gestured for her to precede him. Shooting another glare at him, Rogue sauntered past him to head for the dining room. Remy found his eyes drawn to her swaying hips and shook his head to himself. He'd always been a sucker for a challenge.

***

Gabria was honestly feeling overwhelmed. The Mansion was huge and beautiful and the people who lived there exceedingly diverse. Some looked unusual while others looked like anyone she might have passed on a street. And the amazing array of abilities they possessed was stunning. Gabria was somewhat relieved when Connor led her away from the building and out into the grounds where everything was a little quieter.

"So what do you think?" Connor asked finally as they walked along a path through the trees.

Gabria smiled at him, her face clearly showing the sensory overload.

"Yeah, I felt that way when I first came here, too." Connor agreed, "Don't worry. You get used to it."

Gabria wondered if she would be there long enough to get used to anything, but didn't bother to say so. She had no idea what was going to happen to her now. It was pointless to speculate. There was something else that she was curious about, though.

"Connor," Gabria ventured after a moment of silence, "can I ask you a question?"

"Of course." Connor nodded.

"What about you? What's your power? How did you come here?"

Connor's lips pulled up on one side as if he were smirking at himself. He gestured for Gabria to join him as he moved off the path to sit on the grass under a large, oak tree. Once they were both seated- Connor leaning back on his elbows, Gabria sitting cross-legged- Connor began to explain.

"Obviously, I'm from Ireland. I grew up in Belfast. I don't know how much you know about Irish history, but there were a lot of problems there. When I was little, my parents were killed. They were Protestant, but I think they were mostly just in the wrong place at the wrong time. One of the bombers found me and took me with them. The Provisional IRA raised me, trained me. I was basically a soldier by the time I was ten. I did a lot of missions for them. I was a great asset because they were technically considered terrorists by most of the world and since I was so young I didn't meet with much scrutiny getting into and out of hot spots." Connor glanced towards Gabria, a sardonic smile gracing his features, "I thought I was a freedom fighter, you know. I didn't truly realize what we were doing for a long time. It wasn't that we were wrong. It's just how we were making our point. I figured it out when I got pinned down, stuck in this building in the middle of a big barrage of Molotov cocktails. I was on the wrong side of the attack, but the people I ended up with didn't know that. One of them, a middle-aged woman, sacrificed herself to save me from an explosion. She didn't know me from Adam. After that, I decided that I'd had enough. I took off, made my way to Dublin and from there to the U.S."

Gabria stared at Connor, utterly astounded. That was certainly not the sort of back-story she'd been expecting. Connor seemed like a carefree smart aleck, not like an ex-child soldier who'd seen more horrors in the first decade of his life than she could imagine. She didn't know how to respond and so, to her personal horror, she found herself just staring at him, slack-jawed.

Connor smiled reassuringly at her. He'd known how she'd respond to his story. It was for that reason that he rarely told it, but there was something about this particular girl. She'd made quite an impression on him between what the Professor had revealed in his brain and what he'd observed while he'd shown her around. He liked her. And since the Professor had asked him telepathically to be responsible for her, he felt that it was important that they start off on the right foot which, in his book, meant some brutal honesty. However, that didn't mean he wanted her pity.

"It's alright. That's just how things turned out." Connor shrugged dismissively.

"So, then you came here?" Gabria ventured.

Connor shook his head, a short laugh escaping him, "Oh, no. First I wandered about, using what the IRA taught me to make a living by stealing. I wound up on the wrong side of the Thieves' Guild. I ended up here as an alternative to messing with them."

Gabria absorbed that information. Connor wondered what was going through her head, but didn't push her. He sensed that she had questions and waited for her to get around to asking them.

"But…" Gabria began hesitantly, "you never said what your power is."

"Let me show you." Connor offered.

Gabria waited, looking at him expectantly. Then, suddenly, he wasn't there anymore. Gabria's brow furrowed in confusion. She looked around for him, but soon she forgot what she was even looking for. Sighing, Gabria began to get back to her feet, deciding that she might as well start heading back to the Mansion. There was no reason for her to be sitting out here in the woods by herself.

"Leaving so soon?"

Gabria jumped in surprise, her head jerking around to find Connor standing behind her, looking at her quizzically.

"What…?" she asked, not really comprehending what had just happened.

It wasn't just that Connor had disappeared. She'd forgotten that he'd been there.

"I can make people not notice me." Connor explained, "I can't make you not remember me at all, but I can make you forget you saw me here. Short term, not long term."

"That's amazing." Gabria said, wide-eyed.

Connor shrugged again, "It's what made me so good at the covert stuff."

Gabria nodded. She could imagine that Connor's ability made him an exceptional covert ops soldier and thief. What was bothering her now was why he was telling her all of this? She'd assumed he'd just show her around and then take her back to the X-Men, but he seemed to be establishing a more significant relationship. Otherwise, why bother telling her this? That he was making such an effort made Gabria think that he might know more than he was letting on about her situation here.

Before Gabria could inquire, Connor's attention shifted and Gabria followed his gaze to see Professor Xavier wheeling down the path towards them. Gabria and Connor both immediately climbed to their feet and Gabria was relieved to see that she wasn't the only one who felt that the Professor commanded respect. Actually, Gabria realized with a grin and a sideways glance at Connor, she wasn't even the only one who was inadvertently standing at attention.

"How was the tour?" the Professor asked with a disarming smile.

"Amazing." Gabria immediately replied.

She grimaced and her composure slipped for a second when she found that she'd almost automatically added that Holly would have loved it. Shifting uncomfortably, Gabria cleared her throat and wished fervently for someone else to say something.

"I'm glad you like it." the Professor said and Gabria wondered if he'd heard her unspoken request. Dismissing the thought, she focused on his words, "I actually have a proposition for you that I hope you will consider."

"Sir?" Gabria asked.

She felt Connor glance at her, but kept her focus on the Professor. She could feel that this was something important.

"If you would like to, I would be pleased to have you stay here as a student."

Gabria was almost certain she hadn't heard that right.

"But…I'm not a…I don't have…" she stammered uncertainly.

The Professor looked amused by her reaction, "I am aware of that. You spoke very insightfully about the coexistence of humans and mutants. You made me realize that I have been foolish to pursue such a goal without putting it into practice at my own school. I think you are a perfect candidate for a…well, a human ambassador to our school."

Gabria just stared at him, at a loss for words. The Professor continued, unfazed by her lack of response.

"I know it will be difficult for you. Many of my students have powers that could be potentially dangerous to you. I have already asked Connor and Jubilee if they would help ensure your safety and comfort here, but it is ultimately your choice if you would like to stay. I hope you will. I think my school has a lot to offer for a bright young woman like yourself."

Gabria was silent as she replayed the Professor's words in her head. Stay at the Mansion? Be a student here? Be the only human student at a school of mutants, a small-scale experiment in integration? On the one hand, Gabria jumped at the chance to be a part of this awesome and exciting world. On the other, Gabria's mind latched onto the finer points of the situation. She'd thought she was an outsider before. That would be nothing compared to this. Everyone would know she was distinctly different. She'd need mutant bodyguards to accompany her to ensure her safety even if it was from merely accidental displays of powers. Gabria tried to mentally compare her previous life to this new own laid out before her, picturing them side-by-side. What did she really want?

A voice of reason sounded in her head, stopping the internal pro and con list composition. Did it even matter what she wanted? Could she really go back after what had happened, after Holly? That question was easily answered. She couldn't face them. She wasn't ready. Nor did she expect that she'd be welcome even if she could. She was welcome here. She should be grateful that she even had somewhere to go now.

Meeting the Professor's gaze finally, Gabria figured he probably already knew her decision, but she decided to voice it anyway, "Thank you, sir."

The Professor smiled, "Thank _you_, Gabria. Welcome to my school. Dinner will be served soon if you're hungry. Connor, would you please show Gabria to the Girl's Dormitory after dinner? Jubilee will show her to her room."

"Yes, sir." Connor nodded.

The Professor was still smiling as he turned his chair around and disappeared back up the path. Gabria stared after him, still a little dazed by what had just happened. She would never have predicted this series of events just a few days ago.

Connor's warm hand brushing hers snapped her out of it.

"Hungry?" he asked, head tilted to the side, a hint of a grin on his face as he looked at her.

Food was the last thing on Gabria's mind, but it had been quite some time since her last meal. She was sure as soon as she smelled food, she'd be starving. So she nodded, gesturing for Connor to lead the way.

As the pair made their way at a leisurely pace back towards the Mansion, Connor continued to glance at the girl at his side. Finally, unable to quell his curiosity, he said to her, "So, I have a feeling I'm not the only one with a military background."

Gabria blushed, a little embarrassed that it was so obvious that she was a military brat. Slowly, she began to explain her own history. After Connor's revelation, she hardly felt she could be anything but forthright with him. She figured she probably imagined a gleam of interest in his eyes.

***

Dinner proved awkward. Word spread fast around the Mansion about the new girl with no powers. Gabria ignored the whispers and glances, but that didn't mean she wasn't aware of them. If she hadn't been distracted by Connor, she might have been more bothered by them.

Gabria was swiftly coming to the realization that she was developing a crush on the young mutant. It helped that he was showing an interest in her, didn't seem to care that she wasn't a mutant, and seemed unconcerned by the reaction of the others. He chatted casually with her while they ate, not sparing a glance at anyone else in the room. Gabria was simultaneously thrilled and embarrassed by the attention. While she considered herself a strong individual, she was rather shy when it came to the opposite sex. Besides, given her social standing growing up and the fact that she wasn't exactly the prettiest girl in the room on most occasions, Gabria had never been the type of girl that guys crossed the room for. This made her a little perplexed and suspicious of Connor's attention, but for the moment she decided not to question it. So far he was her only friend here. It would be stupid to cause any friction between them if she didn't have to.

Unexpectedly, someone sat down across from them, plopping down a dinner tray and drawing both their attention. A young girl mutant, about the same age as Gabria, was now occupying the seat across from her. The girl was leaning back in her seat and glaring around the room, but when she noticed that she had Gabria's attention, she flashed her a bright smile.

"Hi!" she said and extended a hand across the table, "I'm Jubilee."

Gabria hesitated a moment before shaking Jubilee's hand. She was a little confused about this sudden intrusion. Jubilee must have seen the confusion on her face because her smile turned slightly embarrassed.

"Sorry. I guess you don't remember me. You were sort of unconscious at the time. I found you at the train station." Jubilee explained, "The Professor told me you're staying and asked if I could help show you around and get adjusted."

"Between me and Jubilee, there's pretty much nothing we don't know about this place." Connor nodded reassuringly.

"Oh…okay." Gabria said slowly. She suddenly recalled the Professor mentioning a Jubilee as the other person who would be looking out for her and everything made a little more sense. Gabria was also relieved to see that Jubilee seemed pretty cool about the whole situation. It was definitely a good thing to have another ally around here.

"I'm sorry everyone around here are being such jerks." Jubilee said loudly, looking pointedly around the room, "You'd think mutants would know better than to stare."

Many people around the room took the hint and looked away; some even had the grace to look embarrassed. Jubilee nodded her satisfaction.

"That's okay." Gabria said, squirming a little in her seat. She didn't much want to draw any more attention to herself, but Jubilee seemed oblivious to her uneasiness. Gabria briefly wished she had Connor's power to make people not notice her.

For the remainder of dinner, Jubilee kept up a steady stream of chatter, pausing only briefly for Gabria to answer her questions. Gabria felt slightly overwhelmed by such an exuberant personality, but was also sort of happy that Jubilee was so easy to be around. She hardly felt any pressure to explain herself or prove anything with Jubilee. Jubilee seemed perfectly content to pretend like everything was as normal as it could be in a school full of mutants. Connor had offered her a bemused smile and an eye roll that seemed to indicate that this was how Jubilee normally was and that it wasn't any sort of act that she was putting on. Gabria found that she quite liked her.

After dinner, the trio deposited their dishes on the counter with everyone else's and wandered out of the dining area. Even though Connor had shown her around the mansion, Gabria still felt distinctly overwhelmed by it all and had little idea where anything was. Thankfully, her two guides led the way to a sort of lounge area where a few other younger mutants were either sitting and talking, watching television, reading or, in one case, playing foosball. Jubilee claimed a small, round table with three chairs around it for them by plopping into one of them.

"So…um…what exactly am I supposed to do about classes tomorrow?" Gabria asked as she joined her, "I don't have any books or anything."

Jubilee waved dismissively, "It's no big deal. You can borrow Connor and my notes and we'll get you some books tomorrow. One of us at least will be in all your classes."

Gabria nodded slowly. Academics had always been something she'd excelled at and it bothered her a little to be so unprepared, but she supposed that was the least of her worries. Besides, she didn't even know what classes here would be like.

"What classes do I have?" she asked, wondering if maybe she should already know the answer to that question somehow.

"Chemistry, English Literature and Philosophy before lunch. Then, Gym, Trigonometry, and History. Our last class is a foreign language. It's your choice if you want to take French with Jubilee or Japanese with me." Connor explained.

"You're learning Japanese?" Gabria asked in surprise.

That would not have been the first language she would have assumed he'd choose. However, she had only just met him. It was a little presumptuous of her to suppose that she knew him that well already.

"He's crazy." Jubilee said, making a face.

Connor shrugged, "I already know some French and some German and, of course, Gaelic. I wanted to try something different."

"Forget that. There are cute boys in French class." Jubilee said with finality as if there were no possible argument to beat that.

Connor merely shrugged again.

"That seems like a pretty standard class schedule." Gabria commented, frankly a little surprised that the classes weren't more unusual.

"Well, this is a school. Just because we're mutants doesn't mean we don't have to learn the same stuff." Jubilee rationalized, "And we do have some other sort of classes that have to do with using our powers, but you don't have to worry about those."

They way she said it made it seem like it was no big deal, like Gabria was escaping an extra load of work, but Gabria still felt the familiar sting of ostracism. She knew it wasn't intentional this time. It was no one's fault that she hadn't been born with powers. Focusing on that, she tried to push any negative feelings about it aside.

"Enough about school!" Jubilee declared, "What do you guys want to do? We could watch a movie or play pool or something or…"

Jubilee continued to list a number of different options, but Gabria didn't hear them. She was distracted by a large yawn that caught her by surprise.

"Or maybe we should let Gabria get some sleep." Connor interrupted Jubilee, smiling in amusement at Gabria as she fought a second yawn.

"Oh, yeah. Geez, you're probably exhausted after a day like this. Come on. I'll show you where you're staying. Boys aren't supposed to be in the Girl's Wing so Connor can't come." Jubilee said, stressing the 'supposed' as if this was a rule that was commonly broken.

"Got it." Gabria nodded, standing up from the table, "Night, Connor. Thanks for showing me around and everything."

"Not a problem." Connor replied, "Spending time with pretty girls is one of my favorite pastimes."

"You're so lame." Jubilee said, shoving him out of the way as she moved past him, "Come on, Gabria."

Connor waved goodbye to the girls as they walked away. Gabria waved back. Jubilee ignored him.


End file.
